1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the present invention relate to gas lighters and methods for assembling components of a gas lighter.
2. Description of Related Art
More particularly, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a gas lighter, suitable notably for lighting a cigarette, such a gas lighter comprising a reservoir having an upper wall through which there passes a well and intended to contain a fuel, and a gas dispensing device provided with at least one tubular element arranged in the well.
To hold the tubular element of the distributing device in the well of the reservoir, it is a known practice for use to be made of a fitting comprising a threaded ring screwed into a tapped upper part of the well, and to prevent a gas leak between the tubular element and the well with a sealing element comprising an o-ring as depicted in FIG. 1 of document WO-A-01/18452.
One advantage of this type of fitting is that it can be used in particular with a reservoir made of amorphous polymer. Amorphous polymers, among which include SANs (styrene acrylonitriles) and ABSs (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), have several advantages when producing reservoirs for gas lighters. They are generally inexpensive, easy to use and certain amorphous polymers, such as SANs, are transparent, which has the advantage that the level of fuel in liquid phase remaining in the reservoir can be seen. However, these amorphous polymers are relatively brittle at ambient temperature because their elongation at the elastic limit is small, generally less than 5%. Fitting the tubular element using a threaded ring creates practically no tensile stress in the wall of the well, unlike force-fitting.
However, the threaded ring and the screw thread of the tapped part of the well requires the use of relatively complex molds which lengthen the stripping operations. In addition, the operation of screwing the ring into the well when assembling the lighter is relatively difficult and lengthy to perform in an automated manufacturing process. Moreover, at least one sealing element is required to prevent any gas leak around the tubular element. As a result, manufacturing cost of the gas lighter is significantly increased.
Therefore, a need exists for a gas lighter of simplified construction, while at the same time affording a good seal, reduced bulk, safety of use and, as far as possible, remaining suitable for a brittle reservoir material such as amorphous polymers in a non-limitative example.